Recent Posts by Mark Fleming

Mark Fleming is the chief economist for First American Financial Corporation and leads First American’s Decision Sciences team.

How Does Delta Variant-Fueled Economic Uncertainty Impact Housing Market Potential?

By Mark Fleming on September 22, 2021
Housing market potential continued to strengthen in August, according to our Potential Home Sales Model, increasing 0.05 percent compared with July. The market potential for existing-home sales is now nearly 10 percent higher than in August of 2020, when the housing market’s summer rebound was ramping up following the initial pandemic-driven ... Read More

Interest Rates Homeownership Potential Home Sales

Today's House Prices Are Over 40 Percent More Affordable Than The Housing Boom Peak

By Mark Fleming on August 30, 2021
The Real House Price Index (RHPI) measures affordability in the context of changes in consumer house-buying power, incorporating fluctuations in household income, mortgage rates and nominal house prices. In June, housing affordability declined on a year-over-year basis for the fourth month in a row, following two years of increasing affordability. ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

How the ‘Delta Dip’ Boosted Housing Market Potential

By Mark Fleming on August 20, 2021
Housing market potential strengthened in July, according to our Potential Home Sales Model, increasing 1.3 percent compared with June. It is now nearly 16 percent higher than in July of last year, when the housing market’s summer rebound began, following the initial pandemic-driven decline in the spring. Read More

Interest Rates Homeownership Potential Home Sales

Affordability Declined for Third Month in a Row

By Mark Fleming on July 27, 2021
Housing affordability declined on a year-over-year basis for the third month in a row in May, following a two-year streak of rising affordability. The decline in May occurred even as two of the three key drivers of the Real House Price Index (RHPI), household income and mortgage rates, swung in favor of greater affordability relative to one year ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability

Housing Supply Limiting Market Potential

By Mark Fleming on July 16, 2021
Housing market potential strengthened modestly in June, increasing 0.2 percent compared with May, according to our Potential Home Sales Model. Potential home sales are nearly 17 percent higher than the pandemic-driven decline last June. Read More

Interest Rates Homeownership Potential Home Sales

Is it a Good Time to Buy a Home?

By Mark Fleming on June 28, 2021
In today’s housing market, the power is very clearly in the hands of the seller. In April, First American Data & Analytics’ nominal house price index increased 16.2 percent year over year, the fastest pace since 2005. Rapid appreciation is driving declines in affordability, despite rising incomes and lower mortgage rates. Nationally, according ... Read More

Interest Rates Real House Price Index Affordability